We have reported about the pattern issue of the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K in part 3 of our extensive review of the camera, click here to read it. Other bloggers and users have since experienced the same problem on their cameras, so it seems to be proven that it’s not just “a few bad apples”.
Basically, it seems like the sensor pattern becomes visible as soon as you use the camera at ISO 800.
Now Bryan Doud from Cleveland, Ohio has initiated a petition to get Blackmagic Design to acknowledge that the pattern issue exists. That would mean that Blackmagic would have to either replace the cameras with improved models, repair them, or, if possible, release a software fix. Our friend Philip Bloom is already one of the prominent supporters as he has experienced the issue on his own model of the camera.
Click here to head over to this petition.

Well, July has been and gone, where are the new Blackmagic cameras?
After speaking with Andrew Reid of EOSHD last week, Blackmagic released the following statement regarding the shipping dates for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema, and Blackmagic 4k Cinema Camera.
“Blackmagic Design is making significant progress in production of the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and Blackmagic Production Camera 4K. Full production manufacturing is underway on the Pocket Cinema Camera with first production units in final testing. This is inline with our initial expectations of the end of July and means the camera will start to ship in quantity during August. There are several weeks of work to do on Production Camera 4K before this will enter full production manufacturing, however we expect to ship the first quantities of this model before the end of August.”
If I’m honest, I was a little surprised by this news. Just a week before this, Europe’s largest dealer CVP sent a frustrated email to their customers stating that they had no idea when they were receiving quantities of either camera. I was therefore expecting a much later release date for both.